From the 1930s to Now: The Oscar Dresses We Can’t Forget

1930s: The Oscars launched in 1929, and were still in their infancy when Bette Davis picked up the Best Actress gong for Jezebel in 1939. She wore a black taffeta gown with elaborate feather neckline, perfect for the reigning Queen of Hollywood.

1940s: Olivia de Havilland won in 1947 for her role in To Each His Own. She wore a duck-egg blue ball gown by Ann Lowe, which featured intricate floral detailing.

1950s: Grace Kelly won in 1955 for The Country Girl. She wore an ice-blue satin dress by Edith Head. The gown was cut from a bolt of $4,000 French satin and paired with a matching evening coat.

1960s: Elizabeth Taylor epitomised Hollywood glamour and luxury. She wowed the audience in this floral Christian Dior dress when she took the stage to pick up her Best Actress award in 1961.

1970s: Following the opulence of 50s and 60s fashion, Liza Minnelli went for a much more subdued look in a canary yellow dress and jacket by Halston when she picked up her award for Cabaret in 1973.

1980s: When Cher picked up the gong for her work in Moonstruck in 1988, she wore a transparent, beaded, black Bob Mackie dress that embodied the excess and flamboyance of the era. Her ensemble has gone down in Oscars fashion history.

1990s: The spaghetti straps and the choker scream ’90s, but there were hints of Grace Kelly in this pink Ralph Lauren confection. Gwyneth was rewarded for her work in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love.

2000s: Charlize Theron wore pale gold Gucci to collect her award in 2004. Her finger-waved hair and styling was a throwback to the flapperish looks of the 1920s.

2010s: Jennifer Lawrence was simply radiant in this dramatic, champagne-hued Christian Dior ball-gown at the 2013 Oscars. She also wore a Chopard diamond necklace that dripped down her back. She was accepting her Best Actress award for her role in Silver Linings Playbook.